Training and Technical Assistance

National Congress of American Indians

Area of focus: Tribal-State Collaboration

About NCAI
Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the nation's oldest, largest, and most representative national Indian organization. NCAI was initially formed as a national body to combat the federal government's detrimental policies of termination and assimilation against Tribes, and to this day, it remains steadfast
in its mission to protect and enhance tribal sovereignty. NCAI serves to secure for Indian peoples and their descendants the rights and benefits to which they are entitled; to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of Indian people; to preserve rights under Indian treaties or agreements with the United States; and to promote the common welfare of American Indians and Alaska Natives. It does so by hosting forums to debate and deliberate on pressing political issues and providing Tribes with a platform in the nation's capitol from which their voices can be heard. The NCAI, largely through its 501(c)(3) affiliate the NCAI Fund, has been working for over 10 years to promote intergovernmental cooperation between states and tribes, first through a State-Tribal Relations Project in partnership with the National Conference of State Legislators, and currently through its Tribal-State Collaboration and
Justice Capacity Building Project with the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA).

Services Provided
NCAI's current Tribal-State Collaboration project with the NCJA aims to increase awareness by tribal and state government officials of the benefits of collaborative problem solving and planning and replicate promising practices for improving public safety in tribal communities through tribal-state collaboration methods. To accomplish this goal,
NCAI is assisting NCJA with the development and implementation of a national training and technical assistance program with several training components, including working groups, webinars, pilot trainings, a mentoring program, and educational materials.